Those who live in poverty best know the issues people in our community are facing. Their perspective, experience and knowledge is needed to bring about change.
That’s the idea behind a new initiative from the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association and other groups, known as the Community Builders program, which aims to help marginalized individuals find their voice and learn the leadership skills needed to elevate problems, particularly food insecurity, in the collective social consciousness and find meaningful solutions.
“We all know that the solution to food security is not just free food,” said Molly Roberts, the project lead for GWSA. “Absolutely it has a role to play, people need to eat, but what we’re hoping is that this is the beginning of building up the skills of folks who understand poverty so that they can take the lead in talking about solutions.”
Community Builders is a six-week program set to begin in May, with weekly meetings and workshops featuring a variety of guest speakers in leadership positions at various levels and others who can help participants learn to elevate their voice on issues of importance.
“A lot of it is about skill-building and storytelling,” Roberts noted. “We’d love for participants to feel comfortable in a variety of different spaces and with lots of different people.”
It’s about helping people develop the skills needed to take on leadership roles at not-for-profit agencies and other organizations working to address food insecurity and other issues faced by those experiencing poverty.
“People with lived experience of poverty are the experts of poverty. That’s why we’d like to hear their voices at the forefront,” Roberts said. “They know what needs to be done.”
In addition, the program will provide an opportunity for participants to get to know one another, build their social contacts and learn from the experiences of others experiencing similar situations.
“It’s a new initiative but it’s based on some lovely work that the (Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination) has done in the past, bringing people with lived experience of poverty together,” explained Roberts.
Organizers are in the midst of approaching people who have previously expressed interest in taking on a larger role in the community. Eight to 10 participants are likely.
Along with GWSA, the program is being provided by the North End Harvest Market, Silvercreek Community Market, Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition and Our Food Future Guelph-Wellington, the latter of which supplied grant funding.
Program participants will be given a daily honorarium at a “living wage” level, with child care provided if needed.
“We value and appreciate people’s time,” noted Roberts. “I think it’s important for the world to know that people with lived experience, their knowledge is so valuable that we would like to pay for their time.”
For more information about Community Builders, email project lead Molly Roberts at [email protected].
